No untoward incidents logged during COC filing for BARMM polls — Comelec

There were no untoward incidents reported during the filing of the certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman George Garcia said Sunday.

“Nitong nakaraang araw, natapos na 'yung tatlong araw na filing ng certificates of candidacy sa 32 parliamentary districts diyan sa Bangsamoro. Sobrang napakatahimik. Walang kahit anong untoward incident,” Garcia told Super Radyo dzBB.

(In the past few days, we finished the three-day filing of the certificates of candidacy in the 32 parliamentary districts in Bangsamoro. It's peaceful. There were no untoward incidents.)

The three-day filing period for district representatives and party members was from May 5 to 7.

Meanwhile, the BARMM parliamentary elections are scheduled for September 14, 2026.

There are 16 political parties and 23 sectoral organizations accredited to file their candidacies for the upcoming BARMM polls.

Garcia said the Comelec is 85% through with its preparations and has already laid out security preparations with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Coast Guard, and other concerned agencies.

“So far so good ang preparasyon namin. By June, ipa-finalize na namin ang list of candidates upang malagay sa sistema, at by July mag-i-imprenta na tayo ng balota,” he said.

(Our preparationare so far so good. By June, we will finalize the list of candidates so that we can put it in our system, and we will be printing the ballots by July.)

In March, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the law resetting the first regular elections in the BARMM to September 14, 2026.

Republic Act 12317 stated that “the first regular election for the Bangsamoro Government under this Organic Law shall be held on the second Monday of September 2026.”

To synchronize the BARMM parliamentary elections with the national and local elections, succeeding BARMM elections will be held on the second Monday of May 2031 and every three years thereafter.

The first elected BARMM officials will serve a five-year term starting from noon of October 30, 2026 to noon of June 30, 2031. —RF, GMA News